Wearable automatic injection device for controlled administration of therapeutic agents

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide wearable automatic injection devices for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient's body at fast, controlled rates, for example, in a single fast bolus. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for assembling wearable automatic injection devices for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient at fast, controlled rates. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for using wearable automatic injection devices for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient at fast, controlled rates.

1 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . A wearable automatic injection device for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, the wearable automatic injection device comprising:
 a housing comprising a patient contact portion for contacting the patient;   an administration assembly moveably disposed in the housing holding an administration interface for administering the therapeutic agent to the patient, the administration assembly moveable between a retracted position in which the administration interface does not protrude outside the housing and an extended position in which the administration interface protrudes outside the housing;   a vessel provided in the housing for holding the therapeutic agent; and   a plunger actuation mechanism moveably disposed in the vessel for ejecting the therapeutic agent from the vessel into the administration assembly;   wherein a volume of the therapeutic agent of between 0.1 milliliters and 1.0 milliliter is ejected from the vessel in less than thirty seconds.   
     
     
         54 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , further comprising:
 a retraction trigger responsive to a change of state of the wearable automatic injection device from an administration state to a post-administration state; and   a retraction mechanism for automatically retracting the administration assembly from the extended position in the administration state to the retracted position in the post-administration state upon triggering by the retraction trigger.   
     
     
         55 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , wherein the vessel comprises a syringe. 
     
     
         56 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 55 , wherein the syringe comprises:
 a barrel portion for holding the therapeutic agent; and   a piercing needle coupled to a distal end of the barrel portion for establishing fluid communication between the barrel portion of the syringe and the administration assembly.   
     
     
         57 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 56 , wherein the administration assembly comprises:
 a septum that is pierceable by the piercing needle of the syringe; and   a fluid conduit extending between the administration interface and the septum, wherein piercing of the septum by the piercing needle of the syringe couples the barrel portion of the syringe and the administration interface.   
     
     
         58 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 57 , wherein the piercing needle of the syringe is spaced from the septum when the device is in a pre-administration state, and wherein the piercing needle pierces the septum when the device is in an administration state. 
     
     
         59 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , wherein the vessel comprises a cartridge. 
     
     
         60 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 59 , wherein the cartridge comprises
 a barrel portion for holding the therapeutic agent; and   a septum that is pierceable by a piercing needle.   
     
     
         61 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 60 , wherein the administration assembly comprises:
 the piercing needle for establishing fluid communication between the barrel portion of the cartridge and the administration interface; and   a fluid conduit provided between the administration interface and the piercing needle for establishing fluid communication between the administration interface and the barrel portion of the cartridge.   
     
     
         62 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 61 , wherein piercing of the septum by the piercing needle of the administration assembly establishes fluid communication between the barrel portion of the cartridge and the administration interface. 
     
     
         63 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 62 , wherein the septum of the cartridge is spaced from the piercing needle of the administration assembly when the device is in a pre-administration state, and wherein the piercing needle pierces the septum when the device is in an administration state. 
     
     
         64 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , wherein the vessel is moveably disposed within the housing. 
     
     
         65 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 64 , wherein the vessel is moveable between a first position in a pre-administration state and a second position in an administration state. 
     
     
         66 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 65 , further comprising:
 a vessel actuator for automatically actuating the vessel from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         67 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 66 , wherein a fluid pathway is established between the administration assembly and the vessel, when the administration assembly is in the extended position and the vessel is in the second position in the administration state. 
     
     
         68 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , wherein the plunger actuation mechanism administers the therapeutic agent to the patient at a controlled linear rate. 
     
     
         69 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 53 , wherein the plunger actuation mechanism further comprises:
 a plunger configured to exert an expulsion force to the therapeutic agent in the vessel;   a source of a working fluid for providing a hydraulic pressure to the plunger; and   a fluid conduit provided between the source of the working fluid and the plunger.   
     
     
         70 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 69 , wherein the plunger actuation mechanism further comprises:
 a damping mechanism coupled to the plunger and the source of the working fluid to regulate the ejection of the therapeutic agent from the vessel.   
     
     
         71 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 70 , wherein the damping mechanism comprises a flow restrictor for maintaining a first hydraulic pressure downstream of the flow restrictor toward the vessel at a lower pressure than a second hydraulic pressure upstream of the flow restrictor toward the source of the working fluid. 
     
     
         72 . The wearable automatic injection device of  claim 71 , wherein the flow restrictor is coupled to a retraction trigger, wherein administration of the therapeutic agent in the vessel causes the flow restrictor to activate the retraction trigger, and wherein activation of the retraction trigger automatically retracts the administration assembly from the extended position to the retracted position.